Wednesday, August 29, 2018

This friendly toad has been at our front door almost every night. I think he/she is attracted to the many bugs around our porch light but I did some research about the symbolism of a toad crossing your path to see if there was any other meaning.

In almost every culture, the toad symbolizes good fortune and luck. "If this creature presents itself to you, it means the success you are waiting for is drawing near....it is a continuous reminder not to doubt yourself." {source} Sounds good to me!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

There are certain items that I use multiple times a day in my kitchen. They are my workhorses and I don't want to live without them.

1)Hands-free can opener. I open a lot of cans every day and having this battery powered hands free version makes my life a lot easier.

Once I got the hang of using it, opening cans was a breeze!

2) Lemon/lime Press: I love using fresh lemon juice when it's called for in a recipe so having this citrus press is so helpful for getting the most juice out of the fruit and not letting the seeds sneak out.

3. Mini colander: I have two of these little guys and they get a lot of use daily. They are the perfect size for draining and rinsing a can of beans. They are also great for rinsing off a pint of berries or cherry tomatoes then holding them on the counter and looking cute while doing it.

4) High Speed Blender. I use my Vitamix almost every day and sometimes multiple times a day. It's invaluable for making smooth sauces and dressings.

5)Tofu Press: I wanted one of these for a long time before I finally got one last Christmas (it was on my list). It's not a necessity but it makes pressing the liquid out of tofu a breeze. Pressing the liquid out of the tofu gives it a much firmer consistency for recipes.

I like to press it then cut it into cubes and marinate in some liquid aminos, garlic & Dijon mustard. I roast it in the oven on parchment paper and the tofu comes out crispy, flavorful and delicious! It would have been nice to have when I made this Crispy Fried Tofu recipe back in 2012!

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and keep warm. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, heat some water (or olive oil) in a pan on medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and slightly brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so until garlic is fragrant. Turn off heat.

Make the pesto. To a blender or food processor add the cashews and process until crumbled.

Add the spinach, basil, non dairy milk, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Pulse the mixture, scraping down the sides if necessary. Process until the spinach and basil are finely chopped.

Look how green and fresh it is!

To assemble:

To the pan with the onions and garlic, add the pasta, pesto sauce and reserved water. Fold gently to combine and cook on medium low until the sauce thickens.

Taste to adjust any seasonings and serve warm. I served ours with some veggie sausage crumbles. Original recipe here.

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That's Me!

Hi! I'm Heather and welcome to my little piece of the internet. I love taking pictures and learning more about photography.
I enjoy decorating my house,blog surfing, traveling,crafting and entertaining as well as all things Disney. Thanks for stopping over. I love comments, they really make my day!